


Call Me But Love, and I'll Be New Baptized

by CherryMilkshake



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Trans Character, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Dwarf/Human Relationship(s), F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, French Kissing, Marriage, Tevinter Culture and Customs, Tevinter Imperium, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 22:11:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14554605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryMilkshake/pseuds/CherryMilkshake
Summary: How did Maevaris Tilani become the wife of a dwarf from a disgraced Orzammar family who somehow retained their positions and power despite that disgrace?Well, it started with a retirement.





	Call Me But Love, and I'll Be New Baptized

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tafka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tafka/gifts).



> Prompt was
> 
> _I really would like to read a story about how they met & fell in love, or just more backstory about them. We don't know much about Thorold so there's a lot of room for worldbuilding there._
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> The title is of course from Juliet and Romeo's balcony scene, and is one of Romeo's lines.

Maevaris Tilani had never been anyone's idea of typical. From a young age, she'd known how to leverage her family's name to get what she wanted, whether it was a discount on those gorgeous silver-blue robes or the head of the last magister to use her dead name as an attack upon her honor. 

Working under her father, Athanir, Maevaris had placed herself in charge of maintaining vital connections for the Tilani family. Her father had many acquaintances within the Magisterium, but few true friends. Maevaris was determined to fix this, and was happy to do so without gaining much notice—for now. 

With her rising power, of course, came suitors who either "didn't care about" her gender or, worse, cared a little _too_ much. Of course, since Tevinter saw heirs as paramount, all of those suitors had been women (or fathers on behalf of their daughters), which, er, no thank you. Suffice it to say, she was so far unattached.

Which was fine honestly. She was a busy woman, swamped with projects and political maneuvering that her father, bless his kind heart, had no head for. Some such maneuvering was with the dwarves of Minrathous. Thanks to their stranglehold on the lyrium market, Orzammar held a powerful place in the center of the Magisterium's machinations, so she spent a lot of time making sure she knew the ins and outs of a city hundreds of miles away.

Luckily, those deshyrs that made their homes in Minrathous tended to stay there, so the names and goings-on were fairly consistent. 

One name that had disappeared entirely, however, was Tethras. They'd been a powerful and well-connected family when Maevaris was young; she remembered her father working closely with their head, Andvar. 

However, when she was still learning her letters, the family had been driven out of Orzammar, due to a scandal involving the ritual Provings. Still, those Tethras members in Minrathous had weathered the storm fairly well, with Emmet and his two sons, Vidar and Thorold, maintaining their positions as Orzammar representatives, despite their family's loss of status. Even as a young woman, Maevaris had admired the connections and political savvy that must have taken. 

She shifted the papers on her desk, checking the news. Emmet Tethras, it seemed, had retired, appointing Thorold as the new head of household. With a smile, she rang a bell, summoning her schedule keeper. "Make an appointment with Mr. Thorold Tethras, please. I wish to congratulate him on his rise in position." _And make sure Tilani's interests continue to be considered_ , she didn't add. "Bring along a gift, perhaps some pastries from that bakery I remember him favoring; _Silver Bite_?"

He bowed and left to deliver the congratulations and meeting request.

Meanwhile, Maevaris went to her wardrobe, puzzling over what best to wear. 

+++

She curled her hair and shaved her face, applying a pale pink lipstick to not distract from her dramatic eye work. With a smile at her reflection, she slipped into the robes she'd picked for the meeting, giving it a critical once over as she cinched the waist as much as she could, forcing her silhouette to cooperate. 

The staff for the occasion was more function than fashion sadly, but the blue crystals at least brought out her eyes. 

She gave her reflection a little curtsy and left their Minrathous estate.

Her carriage arrived at the Ambassadoria a short time later, and she was met by a well-dressed dwarf in the colors of House Tethras. "My lady Tilani, Master Tethras will see you shortly," he explained as he escorted her inside. "He is excited to see you again. It has been too long since Magister Attis's gala two summers ago."

Maevaris smiled. "I'm honored he can recall such a small meeting so long ago." They had arrived in a sitting room, where Master Thorold himself was just arriving.

"Truly, it surprises me it has been so long," he said warmly, bowing over Maevaris's offered hand. "You are not a woman who fades into the background, Lady Tilani."

"You flatter me, but I'm not about to refuse compliments from such a handsome man."

And indeed he was. Two years had filled in whatever boyishness had remained in his features, and he'd grown out his red beard to cover his chest, the hair thick and luscious in a way that human men could only dream of. Maevaris placed the inappropriate thoughts that popped up about combing her fingers through it away for later. 

He smiled at Maevaris' flattery, and _oh_ he had such a nice smile. She should have remembered that. "Please, my lady, take a seat. I imagine you are not only here to exchange pleasantries."

She laughed. "You guess right, Master Tethras," she said warmly as she settled herself into the large, soft leather chair.

He sat across from her, stroking his beard with one hand. "Thorold, please, I'm not yet used to being Master Tethras."

"Shouldn't you get used to it soon then?" She smiled as the man who'd escorted her in offered a glass of wine on a tray. She tilted it toward Thorold in thanks and took a sip. Hmm, he had done his research. It was one of her favorites.

"I like to think I'm not the sort to stand on ceremony," Thorold explained, leaning back. "My cousin Varric seems to do quite well for himself on friendliness alone."

"He's the novelist in Kirkwall, yes?"

Thorold nodded. "And a member of the Merchant's Guild, which isn't to be discounted."

"Of course." Maevaris sipped her wine. "So, to business, then?"

With a smile, Thorold leaned forward. "Anything to hear your lovely voice, my lady."

She laughed. So the game was to be flattery? She wasn't about to be outdone.

+++

After business was concluded and further wine had been drunk, Thorold offered an arm. "Come, join me for dinner, my lady."

Maevaris covered her mouth, half-hiding a coy smile. "Oh my. For further business or for pleasure?"

"Only the pleasure of your company, my lady." His eyes twinkled. 

"I shall have to send word. I was supposed to sup with my father tonight."

He looked a bit sad. "If you truly must go…" 

"Oh no no, I must only let him know."

His smile returned and he summoned a messenger to let Magister Tilani know his daughter would be otherwise engaged for the evening.

Dinner turned to dessert, which turned to intimate discussion by the fire, their hands clasped upon the couch as they spoke in soft voices.

"I cannot imagine the courage it must have taken, to defy the entire world like that," Thorold said wonderingly, running his thumb over her knuckles. "You are extraordinary."

She tucked her hair behind an ear, looking at their hands. "Less than you think. I was so terribly unhappy. To not defy them would have been to embrace a slow death of the spirit, and I chose mockery over torture."

"You put it like that to lessen your agency, but that doesn't change the fact that you are unafraid to fight those who refuse to give their respect. You're quite famous here, you know. Even if the words chosen are often." He frowned, tugging thoughtfully at his beard.

Her gaze rose to meet his. "Ugly?" she suggested wryly.

"Ignorant," he decided. "But you are more than the name and role you have embraced, which I think we dwarves could stand to learn a thing or two from."

"You're flattering me again, Thorold," she said softly. 

He squeezed her hand, their gazes locked. "Is it unwanted?" he asked, leaning toward her.

"Hardly. If anything, it's the opposite." And maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the compliments, but she could no longer resist the urge to bury her fingers in that beard, her palm passing over Thorold's soft cheek.

Neither knew who moved first, but Maevaris felt a broad hand at her back as warm lips met hers, coaxing forth a coiling heat within her that she hardly knew. To be an oddity was attention, though unwanted. To be _desired_ … that was new territory, and one that she was eager to explore. 

Thorold moved quickly, cradling her head as she fell back onto the couch cushions, his knees around her hips. Stalwartly, she refused to look down her body, her stomach churning about what she knew she'd see, but as if reading her mind, Thorold distracted her with kisses and the tickle of his beard against her throat. 

After a few centuries, they broke apart, breathing hard, faces flushed. Thorold ran his thumb over the curve of her cheek. "We must do this again soon, my lady." His voice was low, husky with exertion that did nothing to ease the heat in her belly. 

"Are you unwilling to continue this now?" she asked, putting her arms on his shoulders to keep him from leaving.

"Unwilling? Not at all. But I suspect we will have to talk more carefully about how we would wish to… conduct ourselves, before we continue."

He was speaking sense. Affairs were fine, but Maevaris was still her father's heir and expected to produce a child. On top of that, despite the dwarves' high status within the city, it was rare for them to have any sort of liaison with a human, due to the dwarves' insular nature. She had to be cautious of Thorold's reputation as well as her own. 

Despite his rationality, she pouted. "I don't want to be _responsible_ ," she said petulantly. 

He laughed and touched their noses together. "I'm glad I can rob you of your sense, but I still think we should discuss this outside the heat of the moment," he said warmly.

Maevaris sighed dramatically. " _Fine._ But I demand more kisses as payment."

Thorold laughed as he obliged. 

+++

After over a year of clandestine meetings and a mire of uncertainty, Thorold and Maevaris married under dwarven law. It was a quiet affair. Both of their fathers attended, as did Thorold's brother and cousin, Varric. Dwarven ceremonies were mired in tradition, but not terribly long. Maevaris wore her party best—a bright peacock blue that turned her eyes to sapphires. Most of the Ambassadoria did not attend—more because of the human/dwarven match than Maevaris's gender—but Thorold assured her that it was fine; they usually boycotted marriages for whatever political bullshit reason.

As part of the bonding, Maevaris was officially added to the Tethras family, and became Thorold's next of kin. It was kind of magical, seeing her and Thorold's names translated into the ancient dwarven runes, preserved in the Ambassadoria's Memories. 

ᛘᛁᚠᛁᚱᛁᛋ ᛏᛁᛚᛅᚾᛁ ᛏᛁᚦᚱᚬᛋ 

ᚦᚢᚱᚢᛚᛏ ᛏᛁᚦᚱᚬᛋ

After the ceremony, Maevaris brought Thorold back to her father's estate, happy to show him around her chambers. As well as _show him her chambers_ , if you catch my meaning. 

"Will we be okay?" Maevaris asked as she lay beside him, the blanket pulled up to cover her nakedness. 

"I honestly don't know," Thorold admitted. He rolled over, placing a kiss on her lips and giving her a smile. "But I love you, Maevaris Tethras."

She laughed and pressed a pillow into his face. "That's still _Tilani_ in Trade. Tevinter women don't give up their names."

"But you're a Tethras now, my lady." He removed the pillow and kissed her nose. "My lady Tilani-Tethras."

She smiled and tugged him down by his beard, pulling him into another kiss. "Acceptable," she said, and contented laughter filled their marital bed, and would for many months to come.

**Author's Note:**

> The 'dwarven runes' are Younger Futhark, which uses the same letter for "ee" and for "eh", so it breaks down something like this:
> 
> ᛘᛁᚠᛁᚱᛁᛋ ᛏᛁᛚᛅᚾᛁ ᛏᛁᚦᚱᚬᛋ  
> MIFIRIS TILANI TITHRAS
> 
> ᚦᚢᚱᚢᛚᛏ ᛏᛁᚦᚱᚬᛋ  
> THOROLD TITHRAS


End file.
